Browse Infectious Disease Articles by Topic

CDC: No Ban on Politically Charged Words

Infection preventiontists may have been understandably concerned and somewhat confused about a recently reported “word ban” at the CDC that apparently had more to do with politics than clinical science.

Pediatricians Call for Mandated Flu Shots for Clinic Staff

Joining the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and many other professional organizations, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines for outpatient clinics that call for mandatory flu vaccination of healthcare staff.

NIH Approves Research to Enhance Pandemic Pathogens

“Gain-of-function” research designed to make pathogens deadlier in order to develop treatments and countermeasures has been given a green light by the National Institutes of Health.

Changing Human Behavior on Antibiotic Stewardship

Infection preventionists are turning to social scientists to better understand why it is so difficult to get people to consistently wash their hands or, in a more recent example, stop them from overprescribing drugs or inappropriately using broad-spectrum antibiotics that will select out resistant organisms.

Zika Virus: Not Gone, Certainly Not Forgotten

A mosquito bite, typically a mere nuisance, becomes something else entirely when the mosquito carries Zika. It sets off a series of risks and variables that reach their most dire consequence if the virus reaches a human fetus, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy.

CDC: At-Risk Flu Patients Should Receive Antivirals

Neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) antiviral medications should be brought to bear early and often to stave off severe and fatal flu infections due to a vaccine mismatch this season, the CDC recommends.

Severe Flu Season a Call to Action for Infection Preventionists

With public health officials giving clinicians essentially a standing order to administer antivirals to high-risk patients with influenza due to a vaccine mismatch, infection preventionists are stepping up to play critical roles in response to a severe flu season.

Clinical Briefs

In this section: Finding the prescription for the best diet, treating severe acute pain in the ED, and reducing falls among older patients.

Ertugliflozin Tablets (Steglatro)

Ertugliflozin is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The Incidence of Dementia May Be Declining

In community-dwelling people from Bronx County, New York, there was a sharp decrease in dementia incidence in those born after mid-1929, which could not be readily explained by changes in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, higher education, or increased racial/ethnic diversity.